Automatically adjustable ship blocking



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ARDEN L. BURNETT BYMM/XQMM A. L. BURNETT AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTABLE SHIP BLOCKING June 20, 1967 Filed Jan. 20, 1964 ATTYS.

June 20, 1967 A. BURNETT AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTABLE SHIP BLOCKING 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. 20, 1964 INVENTOR ARDEN L. BURNETT W l i June 20, 1967 A. L. BURNETT AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTABLE SHIP BLOCKING 4 Sheets-Sheet :5

Filed Jan. 20, 1964 w l o I z I CD I J 2 I, U I 0 =1;

\ INVENTOR ARDEN BURNETT fi fi ATTORNEYS 65 $2; QwmZm June 1967 A. L. BURNETT AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTABLE SHIP BLOCKING 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 20, 1964 m M m ARDEN L. BURNETT ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,326,007 AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTABLE SHIP BLOCKING Arden L. Burnett, 619 Nicholson St., Falls Church, Va. 22044 Filed Jan. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 339,039 Claims. (CI. 61-66) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to ship dry docks and more particularly to a system of keel and bilge blocking for use in dry docks.

While a ship is in a dry dock for building or repair, keel and bilge blocks must be provided to support the ships hull when the dock basin is dewatered.

It has in the past been common practice to provide fixed blocking on the dry dock floor, the blocking being positioned on the dock floor while the basin is dry before the ship to be repaired is moved into the dock. The height of the blocks necessary to support any given ship had to be built up to the desired height and a cap built to conform to the hull shape of the particular ship to be docked.

My copending application entitled Automatic Block Positioned, Ser. No. 215,253, filed Aug. 6, 1962, now Patent No. 3,218,814, issued Nov. 23, 1965, describes a system for automatically moving the bilge and keel blocks into position in clusters while under a ship floating in the water-filled dock basin, but each of the blocks still had to be built up to the desired height, spaced and pre-set transversely while the basin was dry before I the ship was brought into the dock. Several types of block height adjusting devices, particularly for bilge blocks, have been proposed in the past but none have been satisfactory, particularly for use under water.

In the aforementioned Patent No. 3,218,814 the embodiment illustrated therein includes a crib comprising an assembly or cluster of a group of keel blocks and a group of bilge blocks on one side of the keel blocks, which are interconnected to be moved together laterally inwardly or outwardly on rails from center of the dock. The embodiment of the patent also includes a crib or cluster of interconnected bilge blocks on the other side of the keel blocks, but 'not interconnected therewith, which may be moved together laterally inwardly or outwardly of the dock on rails.

The arrangement shown in the patent is desirable for certain types and sizes of drydocks and of ships to be drydocked.

That patent also states that extra blocks could be carried by any given pair of rails by simply interconnecting them with the blocks shown and described therein by way of example.

The arrangement shown in the present application is a crib comprising an assembly or cluster consisting of two groups of bilge blocks with a group of keel blocks between them, and interconnected to be moved together inwardly or outwardly of the dock on rails. The arrangement is desirable for certain types and sizes of ships and docks where it is feasible to move the keel blocks and the bilge blocks which are on both sides of the keel blocks as a crib or cluster all to one side of the dock or ship to clear the docking area, instead of being moved separately to opposite sides of the dock or ship as in the embodiment shown in the patent.

The present invention utilizes the principles described in my aforementioned copending patent for automatically positioning bilge and keel blocks on the dry dock "ice floor. Additionally, there are provided screw jack'means for raising the tops of the keel and bilge blocks for adjustment of the blocks to the hull after the blocks are positioned and an unusual head on the top of each block for allowing it to conform to the hull of any ship. Additionally, automatic spatial adjustment means are also provided. The system provided by the present invention obviates the disadvantages inherent in prior sys tems of this type and provides advantages which were heretofore unrealized. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved ship blocking system for use in a shipbuilding or ship repair facility.

Another object is to provide an adjustable support system which allows conformance of the top of the sup port to the object supported.

A further object is the provision of a remotely con trollable support system for the support of large heavy objects.

Another object is that of providing an economical method for setting and positioning the docking blocks under a ship.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view, partly in cross-section, of the embodiment of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a partial view in perspective of the top of one of the blocks of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic elevational view, partly in cross-section, showing the interconnected crib or cluster of bilge and keel blocks moved laterally or transversely of a drydock out of the docking area and a ship in the drydock.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of a similar positioning of a plurality of the cribs or clusters of blocks and a ship in dry dock.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a plurality of keel blocks 11 and a plurality of bilge blocks 13 which may be mounted for travel along a plurality of rails, tracks, or the like 15 as described in my aforementioned copending application, Ser. No. 215,253, now Patent No. 3,218,814. The blocks are held clear of the dry dock floor while the block is being moved by means of coil springs 17 each braced against a wheel 18 which rides along one of the tracks 15. A pin 19 is provided through the center of the spring in order to keep it in its proper supporting position. Each of the coil spring supporting arrangements is aflixed to one of the bilge blocks 13. The springs are chosen so that the forces exerted by them are suificient to keep the blocks above the dock floor when they are being moved but when the weight of a ship is placed on the blocks, the spring compresses to allow the block to rest on the dock floor.

The keel blocks and bilge blocks may be adjustably interconnected by a waterproof screw and nut arrangement or any other interconnecting means which are adjustable in length and of suflicient strength to support the keel blocks and allow pulling of one group of blocks by another. A protective flexible cap such as piece 59 can also be used to waterproof the screw.

As may be seen more clearly from FIG. 2, a suitable screw and nut interconnecting means may comprise a screw 21 along which is mounted for travel a nut 23 which has a connecting link 25 fixedly attached thereto. The connecting link is pinned to a mating link 27 aflixed to the keel block 11 and a drive cable or chain 29 for hauling the blocks along the rails may be connected to the links or 27. The screw 21 is supported by the bilge block 13 and, if desired, a gear arrangement 31 may be mounted on a bracket 33 affixed to the block 13 for drivingly engaging the screw. An electric motor 35 may be provided for driving the gear train, preferably through a clutch 37.

In order to adjust the level of the tops of each of the bilge and keel blocks, there is provided in each block a screw jackv39 which supports the block cap. The jack may be raised or lowered by means of an internally threaded flange 41 having a set of teeth thereon which are driven by a motor driven worm gear 43. The controls for operating the motors for driving the worm gear 43 and the screw 21 are preferably located in an area removed from the dock basin so that the adjustments may be made remotely. The motors must of necessity be submersible in water. The flange 41 is supported on bearings 45. As the flange is rotated by the worm gear, it raises or lowers the jack screw 39. A top flange member 47 is bearing-mounted at the top of the jack screw and has affixed at its center a ball 49 which forms a universal joint with a socket provided in the block head 51. The block head 51 is capped with slightly resilient material 53 such as hard rubber or the like.

Formed in the lower surface of the block head 51 are a plurality of smaller sockets housing the upper portions of a plurality of balls 55, as may be seen more clearly from FIG. 3. The balls 55 are each biased upwardly by means of a spring 57, or the like. Hydraulic means may be substituted for the springs 57 if desired. The bilge block heads, as is indicated in FIG. 1, desirably are disposed in a tilted position when the heads are at rest.

The universal joint means may, if desired, be provided with a protective flexible cap 59, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to prevent dust or debris from entering the keel and bilge block jointarea. The flexible cap also serves as a waterproofing flexible cover to the screw jack 39 and internal machinery.

The operation of the system is as follows:

Initially the keel blocks are positioned on the line over which a ship to be docked is to be placed and the bilge blocks connected thereto are spaced a maximum distance away from the keel blocks by means of the adjustable interconnecting means 21. All blocks top portions are in lowered position.

With the dry dock filled with water the ship to be repaired is then moved into position over the keel blocks and water is pumped from the dry dock until the ship is lowered to the deisred elevation or level above the floor for its dry docking. The motors 35 on the keel blocks are then activated to move all of the keel blocks into position against the hull bottom. The bilge blocks are then pulled into position by means of screws 21 in cooperation with nuts 23 and their heads are raised to contact the hull. It will be-noted that as the block heads are raised to contact the hull the cap and head portion of each block tilt, as necessary, to allow the cap to conform to the shape of the hull at the area of contact. Upon contact of the bilge block head with the hull of the ship, the screw jack 39, by pushing the bilge block against the ships hull, will seat the bilge block firmly on the dry dock floor against the action of the spring 17.

The remaining water is then pumped from the dock and the ship is supported in the dry basin ready for repairs.

In the aforementioned patent 3,218,814 the moving and positioning of the bilge and keel blocks assemblies or cribs or clusters is done after the blocks are set, adjusted, and properly spaced on the mechanical system or cribbing while the dry dock basin is dry before the dock is flooded for ingress of ships. The blocking assembly is then moved out of the docking area until the ship is in position in the flooded dock and then the blocking assembly is moved into position under the ships hull under water. Water is then drained or pumped out of the dock until the dry dock is empty with the ship drydocked.

It will be apparent that also in the operation of the system of this application as above described, the cribs. or clusters of bilge blocks and keel blocks may be moved out of the docking area, as indicated in FIGS. 4 and 5, until the ship is in position in the flooded dock and then the blocking assembly is moved into position under the ships hull under water, in the manner as is described in the aforementioned patent.

In so doing the bilge blocks of the crib or cluster may be spaced from the keel blocks thereof a desired or optimum distance by means of the automatically adjustable interconnecting means of the present invention, and the blocks may be lowered or adjusted as to height a desired or optimum amount by means of the automatic height adjusting means, all in the manner as hereinabove described. Then when the blocking assembly is moved into position underwater. beneath the ships hull the above described further automatic power driven adjustments of the blocking assembly are made to contact the hull, prior to removing the water from the drydock.

The system as described allows automatic underwater positioning and adjustment of both bilge and keel blocks and obviates the necessity for manually building up each block and presetting it for its proper position in supporting the ship. Furthermore, the tiltable portion on the topof each block automatically conforms to the hull at it is raised into supporting position. Thus the system presents a great saving in time and manpower for block setting and positioning when compared with prior block systems.

Obviously, many modifications and variations are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be'understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A drydock blocking system comprising:

a plurality of vertically adjustable bilge blocks;

a plurality of vertically adjustable keel blocks;

spatially adjustable interconnection means for interconnecting one of said bilge blocks and one of said keel blocks;

means for adjusting the height of each of said bilge blocks;

means for adjusting the height of each of said keel blocks;

said means for adjusting the height of each of said bilge blocks and said means for adjusting the height of each of said keel blocks including means for effecting said adjustments remotely while said blocks are under water;

said patially adjustable interconnection means including means for remotely eflecting adjustments in the spacing between said one of said keel blocks and said one of said bilge blocks while the same are submerged in water;

universal joint means for allowing the top portions of said bilge blocks and said keel blocks to conform to the shape of the area of the hull of a ship which they contact; said universal joint means including a ball and socket interconnecting said means for adjusting the height of said blocks and said top portions of said blocks;

said universal joint means further including a plurality of pressure biased members spaced around said ball and socket and interposed between and engaging said top portions of said blocks and said height adjusting means and tending to restrain movement of said universal joint.

2. A dry dock blocking system as defined in claim 1 wherein said pressure biased members are also ball and socket members.

3. A dry dock blocking system as defined in claim 2 wherein said spatially adjustable interconnection means includes a power driven screw operable through a nut to alter the spacing between at least one of said bilge blocks and at least one of said keel blocks.

4. A dry dock blocking system as defined in claim 3 wherein said means for adjusting the height of said blocks include a power driven screw jack.

5. A dry dock blocking system comprising:

a plurality of vertically adjustable bilge blocks;

a plurality of vertically adjustable keel blocks;

means for automatically adjusting the height of each of said bilge blocks;

mean for automatically adjusting the height of each of said keel blocks;

said automatic height adjusting means including means for effecting said adjustments remotely so that said adjustments may be made while the said blocks are under water;

spatially adjustable interconnection means for interconnecting one of said bilge blocks and one of said keel blocks;

means for automatically remotely eifecting adjustments in the spacing between said one of said keel blocks and one of said bilge blocks so that said spatial adjustments may be made while said interconnected blocks are under water; and

means for moving said interconnected bilge and keel blocks as a unit laterally of the dry dock.

6. In a drydock blocking system having a plurality of bilge blocks and a plurality of keel blocks, means connecting said block together forming a crib or cluster assembly which is movable as a unit transversely of the dry dock,

said plurality of bilge blocks being vertically adjustable;

said plurality of keel blocks being vertically adjustable;

means for automatically adjusting the height of each of said bilge blocks;

means for automatically adjusting the height of each of said keel blocks;

said automatic height adjusting means including means for eifecting said adjustments remotely so that said block height adjustments may be made while said blocks of said crib or cluster assembly are under water.

7. In a dry dock blocking system as defined in claim 6;

said means connecting said blocks together including spatially adjustable interconnection means for interconnecting one of said bilge blocks and one of said keel blocks; and

means for automatically remotely effecting adjustments in the spacing between said one of said keel blocks and said one of said bilge blocks so that said spatial adjustments may be made while said blocks of said crib or cluster assembly are under water.

8. In a dry dock blocking system as defined in claim 7;

said spatially adjustable interconnection means between said bilge and keel blocks comprising a screw and nut to alter the spacing therebetween, said automatic means for remotely effecting adjustments in the spacing including power means for driving the screw, said automatic means for effecting said block height adjustments remotely including power driven screw jack means.

9. In a dry dock blocking system as defined in claim 8;

said nut having a connecting link fixedly attached thereto, said connecting link being pinned to a mating link afiixed to the keel block.

10. A dry dock blocking system having a plurality of bilge blocks and a plurality of keel blocks,

means connecting said blocks together forming a crib or cluster assembly which is movable as a unit transversely of the dry dock; said crib or cluster assembly of interconnected bilge and keel blocks comprising;

a plurality of keel blocks;

a plurality of bilge blocks disposed on one side of and spaced from said plurality of keel blocks;

a plurality of bilge blocks disposed on the other side of and spaced from said keel blocks;

all of said keel blocks and said bilge blocks on either side of said keel blocks being interconnected by said means to be movable as a unit to one side of said dry dock to clear a docking area of said blocks.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 258,727 5/1882 Eads 6166 786,840 4/1905 Prochazka 61-66 1,385,487 7/1921 Kennison 61-66 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,175,317 1957 France.

3,747 1868 Great Britain. 395 ,lO Z 1933 Great Britain.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

JACOB SHAPIRO, Examiner. 

1. A DRYDOCK BLOCKING SYSTEM COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE BILGE BLOCKS; A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY ADJUSTED KEEL BLOCKS; SPATIALLY ADJUSTABLE INTERCONNECTION MEANS FOR INTERCONNECTING ONE OF SAID BILGE BLOCKS AND ONE OF SAID KEEL BLOCKS; MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE HEIGHT OF ECH OF SAID BILGE BLOCKS; MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE HEIGHT OF EACH OF SAID KEEL BLOCKS; SAID MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE HEIGHT OF EACH OF SAID BILGE BLOCKS AND SAID MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE HEIGHT OF EACH OF SAID KEEL BLOCKS INCLUDING MEANS FOR EFFECTING SAID ADJUSTMENTS REMOTELY WHILE SAID BLOCKS ARE UNDER WATER; SAID SPATIALLY ADJUSTABLE INTERCONNECTION MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR REMOTELY EFFECTING ADJUSTMENTS IN THE SPACING BETWEEN SAID ONE OF SAID KEEL BLOCKS AND SAID ONE OF SAID BILGE BLOCKS WHILE THE SAME ARE SUBMERGED IN WATER; UNIVERSAL JOINT MEANS FOR ALLOWING THE TOP PORTIONS OF SAID BILGE BLOCKS AND SAID KEEL BLOCKS TO CONFORM TO THE SHAPE OF THE AREA OF THE HULL OF A SHIP WHICH THEY CONTACT; SAID UNIVERSAL JOINT MEANS INCLUDING A BALL AND SOCKET INTERCONNECTING SAID MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE HEIGHT OF SAID BLOCKS AND SAID TOP PORTIONS OF SAID BLOCKS; SAID UNIVERSAL JOINT MEANS FURTHER INCLUDING THE HEIGHT OF PRESSURE BIASED MEMBERS SPACED AROUND SAID BALL AND SOCKET AND INTERPOSED BETWEEN AND ENGAGING SAID TOP PORTIONS OF SAID BLOCKS AND SAID HEIGHT ADJUSTING MEANS AND TENDING TO RESTRAIN MOVEMENT OF SAID UNIVERSAL JOINT. 